"No one has the right to tell him when to hang it up": Darren Cahill hits back at Andy Murray critics after 'tarnishing his legacy' claims

After Andy Murray was forced to defend himself against detractors saying he should hang up his racket, Darren Cahill, coach of Jannik Sinner, has come out in support of the British tennis star.

Murray has had a poor start to his 2024 ATP season, suffering four first round defeats with his most recent occurring at the ongoing Open 13 Provence. The Three-time Grand Slam champion was questioned about his heart and commitment following his loss in Montpellier last week, with Murray firing back by stating he still had a lot left in the tank.

The Australian coach was quick to defend Murray from his critics and naysayers, saying the Brit deserved to go out on his own terms.

"Andy is one of the greatest competitors our sport has seen, because nothing has come easy to him and he has had to work damn hard for everything that he has achieved in the game," said Cahill in an interview on the Run Home With Andy & Gazey podcast. "No one has the right to tell him when to hang it up.
“He practiced with Sinner about a week before the Australian Open, they were supposed to play three sets, Andy won the first two and I think Jannik was up a break in the third set, he was playing out of his mind, he was playing so well and Jannik [himself] was playing good tennis.

“I then saw him at Kooyong and he played pretty well, but he was [also] grinding away on the practice court and I walked passed him and said ‘you just love this sport, don’t you’ and he said ‘yeah, I love it so much. He can play for as long as he wants, there is no damaging his brand. What he has been able to achieve in his career has been remarkable, considering the opposition he has had. He came in the era of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. To win majors in that era has been really, really tough and Andy was able to do it three times, he won a couple of Wimbledons, he won an Olympic gold medal and he became the No 1 player in the world. 99.999% of the public or tennis playing people would take that career in a heartbeat.
“I know he is putting the work in, his body just needs to hold up. He is not playing with a great deal of confidence at the moment, which is surprising because he was playing really well before the Australian Open, but he has got plenty of time. Novak is the same age as him and he is the No 1 player in the world. So, if he can get it right and his body is holding up, there is still a lot left for Andy, if he wants it.”